A clandestine government rating system that tracked serious allegations of abuse and misconduct across New South Wales childcare centres was systematically concealed from parents and the public, a Guardian Australia investigation can reveal.
The covert programme, operated by the NSW Department of Education, assigned internal risk ratings to centres based on the severity and frequency of complaints. These ratings covered allegations of physical abuse, emotional harm, and serious neglect, creating a shadow hierarchy of safety that was never disclosed to those it affected most: families.
Deliberate Concealment Exposed
Internal documents and whistleblower accounts confirm that senior officials made a conscious decision to keep the risk assessment data secret. The system was designed for internal regulatory use only, with no mechanism for informing parents that their chosen centre carried a high-risk designation due to multiple concerning incidents.
This policy of secrecy persisted despite the fundamental right of parents to make informed decisions about their children's safety and wellbeing. The department's priority appeared to be managing its own regulatory workload rather than ensuring transparent public safety.
Whistleblower Breaks Silence
A former department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed the moral distress caused by this policy. "We knew which centres had recurring problems, which ones kept appearing in our reports with serious allegations," the whistleblower stated. "But there was a explicit directive: this information was for internal eyes only. Parents were deliberately kept in the dark."
The source described the internal rating system as sophisticated, factoring in the nature of allegations, number of incidents, and centre response patterns. Yet this crucial intelligence never translated into public warnings or informed consent.
Systemic Failure and Regulatory Capture
Child safety advocates have expressed outrage at the revelations, labelling the secret system a profound betrayal of public trust. They argue that regulatory capture occurred, where the department prioritized the interests of the childcare industry and its own bureaucratic processes over those of vulnerable children and their families.
The investigation raises serious questions about accountability within NSW's early childhood education framework and whether other Australian states operate similar concealed risk assessment programmes.
Parents across NSW are now left wondering whether they unknowingly placed their children in facilities that the government considered high-risk, all while being denied the information that could have protected them.
